Wrestling: Barry joins Braves' elite as champion (83!)

ATLANTIC CITY -- Newton senior Eva Barry was only too happy to end the title drought for one of New Jersey's most stories programs and ease the burden carried by one of its legendary wrestlers in the process. 

Barry made it look rather easy in doing so, pinning one-time champion Shea Aretz of Buena-Vineland in 1:07 at 145 pounds to end of the state's longest title droughts and become Newton's 83rd champion on Saturday afternoon at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

Barry stands atop the podium in AC

"I feel great. It's such a blessing, I love this sport," said Barry, a runner-up in 2025 and '24. "Every match was so great. Happy to be here."

Barry (29-1) was one of four winners for the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area as High Point aces Elle Changaris (120) and Ella Poalillo (152) won their second and third titles, respectively, while Lenape Valley-Hopatcong's Angelina Qualitieri (100) won her first state gold. In all, 15 area girls captured medals in AC, including Hunterdon Central senior Emma Peake, who capped a fine career with a second-place finish at 120.

For 40-plus years, assistant coach and two-time state champion Andy Iliff was the answer to a trivia question as the Braves' last winner, capturing titles No. 81 and 82, with his victories at Princeton University's Jadwin Gym in 1986 and '87.

Iliff one of the sport's good guys and whose daughter, Ashley, wrestled for Newton and is now the head girls coach at Vernon, is only more than happy to have company in the title department. Though he still remains the last champ for the boys at his alma mater. 

"That was my one goal as a coach is that I could be a long, lost memory and no one would ever say that [I'm the last] again," said Iliff, a West Point graduate and longtime assistant for Newton's girls and boys teams. "I told her, 'I don't have to hear it anymore. You are now the one [the media] can refer to and that's fine with me.'"

"He is a legend. I can't ask for a better coach," Barry said. "Happy to have him by my side for support."

Barry (29-1) seemingly won her state gold while hardly breaking a sweat. After an early takedown, Barry used a half-nelson and arm bar combo to secure the first-period pin and set off a joyous victory celebration. 

"Losing in the state finals two years in a row and having to deal with those [losses] was good motivation," said Barry, who handed Poalillo two of her three career losses, both pins, in the nationally-ranked junior's freshman season. "[Aretz is] a great opponent, very tough. But I had my game plan and I was ready. I know if I wrestle my best, not scared, not nervous, I can beat anyone."

"It was good. She's a hard-working kid," head coach Eric Bollette. "She was close two times [previously] so it was good to get this one. It's good for the program."

Barry punctuated her milestone win by launching Iliff to the mat with a lateral drop before getting tossed to her back by one from Bollette.

Barry (second from left back row) with all the girls state champs

"We practiced that a few times," Barry said with a laugh. "I wanted to throw Iliff, because he's bigger and it's a challenge."

So how did winning a title compare to coaching a wrestler to one?

"It's just as good. It felt really good," Iliff said. "She wanted this so bad. She works so hard. There's nobody who works harder than her. When you work that hard, you always believe that hard work pays off. Other wrestlers are working hard, too, and you don't always get the result you want. The way she wrestled [in the final] was exactly what's she's capable of."

Barry was dominant throughout the regular and postseason campaigns, but she had some tense moments in a 5-3 semifinal win over Point Pleasant Boro senior Charlize Schlam. Barry, who trailed for most of that bout, knew she had to change things up for the finale of a stellar high school career. 

"In my semis, I held back," Barry said. "That's the big adjustment I made for the finals. The game plan was to go out there and get the first takedown. When you score the first points it's great."

"She got taken down early and was behind [on the scoreboard] most of that match," Bollette said. "In years past, she's struggled sometimes when she's fallen behind and to keep her composure there the way she did was awesome. She just never panicked, kept battling."

"I think the [previous] state finals, she tightened up," Iliff said. "Today, she just let it go and let it fly. In the semis, she tightened up and we told her to be herself. Just be who you are, and she did, so it was awesome. I'm so proud of her." 

It was the culmination of a tremendous weekend for Newton-Kittatinny's wrestling program, which had two other placewinners -- junior Stella Ramos (two-time fourth at 152) and senior Abby Paglia (eighth at 235) -- among its five qualifiers. Additionally, former boys state placewinner Nathan Fitt earned NCAA Division III All-American honors for the Coast Guard at 149 pounds.

Newton also celebrated its 100th season and saw Bollette pick up his 300th coaching victory this winter.

"I love Newton. It's my home forever," said Barry, a two-time region and one-time district champ, three-time HWS champ and the first four-time NJAC champion who holds the Braves' girls program record for wins at 119-15 overall. "We're a family. It's a great experience to be here with [all of my teammates]."

Championships

165 -- Sr. Olivia Georges (24-1), DePaul, md. Sr. Liliana Alicea (36-3), Central Regional, 17-6.
185 -- Sr. Jade Hahn (15-0), Central Regional, p. So. Aryana Osorio (25-4), St. Mary-Rutherford, 1:30.
235 -- Sr. Saharia Quamina (39-0), Bloomfield, p. Sr. Giavonna Farrell-Byers (45-3), Howell, 2:36.   
100 -- Jr. Angelina Qualitieri (42-1), Lenape Valley-Hopatcong, d. Jr. Gabriela Giacone (30-10), Watchung Hills, 7-0. 
107 -- Jr. Gabriella Conte (32-1), Hanover Park, md. So. Adrianna DiGregorio (34-7), Williamstown, 14-2.
114 -- Jr. Jocelyn Danbe (40-1), River Dell, d. Sr. Kylie Gudewitz (47-5), Howell, 4-2.
120 -- So. Elle Changaris (38-1), High Point, md. Sr. Emma Peake (21-2), Hunterdon Central, 12-3.
126 -- So. Lucia Ranieri (44-1), Roselle Park, d. Sr. Reagan Roxas (37-5), Kingsway, 7-0.
132 -- So. Sheyna Cruz (31-2), Paulsboro, p. Jr, Lamiah Berry (27-5), Absegami, 5:08.
138 -- Sr. Valeria Ramirez (36-3), Elizabeth, p. Sr. Mariana Puzycki (38-8), Bayonne, 1:31.
145 -- Sr. Eva Barry (29-1), Newton-Kittatinny, p. Sr. Shea Aretz (41-2), Buena-Vineland, 1:37.
152 -- Jr. Ella Poalillo (36-0), High Point, p. Sr. Fatina Lozier (36-4), Pennsauken, 2:33.
Outstanding Wrestler Award -- Angelina Qualitieri, Lenape Valley-Hopatcong.